For Immediate Release

Commissioner Ricker: ‘The state of our students is promising’

New State of Our Students report, compiling multiple data points, including 2019 North Star results, reveals promising, comprehensive picture of Minnesota students

ROSEVILLE, MN — Today, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) released the State of Our Students report, a first-of-its-kind compilation of multiple data, including 2019 accountability data from the North Star accountability system. North Star data in the report show that no new schools are identified for support under the 2019 North Star data, beyond schools already receiving support from MDE.

“The state of our students is promising, and it’s up to us to meet their promise with our support,” said Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. “Too often, we condense our students down to one single data point, which eliminates everything about our students that make them who they are. By looking at a broader collection of data side-by-side, we can easily see the many things we have to celebrate about our students and the best strategies to support them to reach their full potential. My promise to our students is to continue seeing their strengths, persist alongside them and tackle the barriers that stand in their way.”

The State of Our Students report finds:

The number of American Indian students taking the ACT has more than doubled since 2014.

ACT participation increased 70 percent for black students between 2014 and 2018.

70 percent of black high school graduates enrolled in higher education within 16 months of graduation.

76.3 percent of Hispanic students graduated high school in seven years.

Minnesota’s English learners speak 226 different languages all together.

The four-year graduation rate for students concentrating in Career and Technical Education (CTE), students completing 240 CTE course hours within one career field, is 92 percent.

83.2 percent of all Minnesota students graduated high school in four years, the highest rate on record.

62.8 percent of students with disabilities were educated in a general education classroom for at least 80 percent of their day.

“The way we use data influences the decisions that we make. By looking at a more complete picture of our students, I am dedicated to find ways to best serve every student,” said Commissioner Ricker. “The State of Our Students report clearly tells me that our students take advantage of every opportunity brought to them. When we open the doors, our students bust through them. Our students’ potential, and their determination to succeed, is more than ambitious—it is promising for our future and meeting their ambition with our support that will turn Minnesota into the Education State.”

The report shows that persistent gaps between student groups remain largely the same from 2018 to 2019. For American Indian students, 57.6 percent consistently attended at least 90 percent of school days, compared to 78.8 percent of Hispanic students and 91.3 percent of Asian students. 2019 math achievement rates dipped slightly for all students in 2019, with rates for each individual student group following suit. Reading achievement rates held steady from 2018 to 2019, and gaps between student groups remained much the same.

“Gaps needs to be closed,” said Commissioner Ricker. “Minnesota students face gaps in learning, housing, household income, health and more. That’s why I’m committed to finding ways to serve the whole child, so all children have the support they need to succeed in the classroom. If we keep doing the same things, we will keep getting the same results. I am committed to reimagining what education can be in the state of Minnesota. And that includes resisting the urge to rely on test scores as our sole indicator of progress.”

North Star Accountability System

The State of Our Students Report includes an update on Minnesota’s North Star accountability system launched in 2018 to identify schools for support. The North Star accountability system was developed over recent years in partnership with thousands of Minnesotans and dozens of community organizations to satisfy and align requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the state’s World’s Best Workforce law (WBWF).

North Star uses data from the five key indicators — achievement and progress on state reading and math tests over time, progress toward English language proficiency, graduation rates and consistent attendance. Under the system, the state is better able to identify schools that consistently perform at high levels across multiple domains and schools that need support in reaching their goals. The five indicators expand the use of data beyond test scores.

Parents and community members can review a variety of data points, including North Star data for schools and districts, by visiting the Minnesota Report Card. Visitors to the site will find information about schools recognized for excellence or prioritized for support. The report card includes a narrative provided directly from the local school as well as information about all schools and districts, including North Star results, staffing data, preschool participation, rigorous course-taking patterns and more. To comply with federal laws, changes have been made in the Minnesota report card to protect the identity of students. Data reported on less than 10 students in a category will no longer be available in the assessment reports on the Minnesota Report Card.

It's NASP's belated PPI Virtual Hill Day (July 17)! Please join school psychologists on the Hill today in advocating for effective, evidence-based school safety policy by taking just *two minutes* to write to your legislators at this link (https://bit.ly/2JAfh8Q).

You can find some sample tweets/social media posts in this document. And, don't forget to use the hashtag #NASPadvocates and tag your representatives! You may also find the resources on our comprehensive school safety critical issue page (especially the key messages resources) helpful in your message development efforts, as well as our Policy Playbook (available to members only).

The Minnesota Departments of Human Services and Management and Budget are looking to partner with school districts or collaboratives of schools to offer a social emotional learning-based curriculum for middle schoolers to promote positive mental health and prevent substance use. Programming would start in fall 2020. The state will cover the costs to implement the curriculum for four years (from school year 2020-21 to 2023-24), including staff training and reimbursement of teacher or substitute training time, curriculum materials, and technical assistance.

Only a limited number of schools can be supported, so districts are encouraged to complete the application as early as July 15, 2019. As soon as districts apply, state staff will schedule a site visit. The application is expected to officially remain open until November 15, but the state may close the application process earlier depending on the number of applicants.

The curriculum, called Life Skills Training (LST),is offered to middle school students over three consecutive years (6th-8th or 7th-9th grade). It works by helping to developstudents’ social and self-management skills. The curriculum is flexible and can be taught in a range of different existing courses, including health, physical education, home room, foundational courses, etc. LST is also aligned with CASEL’s five social emotional learning competencies (SEL) and may be beneficial for schools looking to implement evidence-based SEL models.

New Prague Area Schools is currently seeking a School Psychologist to begin the 2019/2020 school year.

Position begins August 13, 2019

Job Summary:

Conduct comprehensive psycho-educational evaluations; consult with school personnel and parents regarding planning, implementing, and evaluating individual and group interventions; and function as a member of the building-based intervention team in providing appropriate services and supports to students.

Qualifications required:

Appropriate licensure for School Psychologist issued by the Minnesota Department of Education.

Knowledge in research-based Best Practices.

Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with multidisciplinary teams.

Qualifications preferred:

Experience developing behavioral interventions.

Experience working in a school setting or working with children ages preK through 18.

Conferring, advising, problem-solving with individuals and groups regarding educational, behavioral, and mental health concerns relating to specific students or to systems-level (school-specific or district-wide) problems

Developing prevention strategies to reduce the occurrence of problems

Participate in and conduct trainings for district staff on aspects of problem solving including data collection and positive behavioral supports

Assist school staff in the identification of students with disabilities ages birth through 21 through participation in intervention activities, child study committees, and consultation activities

Administer and interpret formal and informal assessment including parents, teacher, and student interviews, observation in the classroom and other settings to support evaluation results

Assist school staff with due process procedures including eligibility requirements, parent rights, and record keeping.

New Prague Area Schools is a consistently growing district of 4,000 students, Pre K through 12. The district is located about 45 miles southwest of the Twin Cities. The district serves the students and community members of the New Prague, Elko New Market, northern Lonsdale areas, as well as several other communities. The district offers a small-town quality of life with easy access to the conveniences of a major metropolitan area. I.S.D. 721 is an equal opportunity employer.

Job Description: Faribault Public Schools seeks a school psychologist commencing with the start of the 2019-20 school year. Faribault school psychologists work as part of innovative, professional, and collaborative teams. They are valued team members and have the opportunity to work on special education evaluations, individual student consultation and problem solving, and serve as a resource for staff.

There are a number of unique features to this position:

Digital administration of intellectual assessments

Digital behavior assessment tools

Work in a collaborative and supportive team approach

Monthly collaboration meetings with other school psychologists and Special Education leadership

District pays for annual attendance to MSPA Midwinter Conference

Intern supervision available by Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP)

Interns receive full pay and benefits per Teacher contract

Clerical support for mailings and scheduling meetings

Diverse and unique student population

School psychologists are leaders for elementary Problem Solving Teams

Work collaboratively with Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

Teacher contract offers pay on Ed.S/ Ph.D. lane

PBIS initiatives in several buildings

Comp time for required meetings outside contract hours

In addition to a supportive and collaborative professional environment, the town of Faribault has a number of unique characteristics:

District Eligible for Federal Loan Forgiveness

District Eligible for Perkins Loan Teacher Cancellation

Commutable from Twin Cities, right off I35

Centrally located and driving distance within an hour of Mankato, Rochester, Twin Cities

Lots of lakes and good fishing

New downtown revitalization project

Small town feel with many restaurants & recreational opportunities

Licensure: Licensed by MDE as a “Full-Time School Psychologist” or as a “Limited Full-Time School Psychologist”. Professional supervision by a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) is available for applicants provided they meet licensure requirements.

Hosted by Minnesota Dept. of Education:

Intelligent Lives Film Screening and Panel Discussion

Champions across Minnesota, involved in advancing opportunities for people with disabilities, engaged in a film screening and a panel discussion to continue to move us forward with providing increased options and supports for individuals and communities.

Through collective efforts across many agencies, we were fortunate to host a screening in Minnesota ofIntelligent Lives, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker Dan Habib. Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they try to navigate high school, college and the workforce. Dan presented the documentary at South High School in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening, April 30th which had approximately 250 people in attendance. The screening was free and open to the public. The attendees included:

· Educators

· students in k-12 systems

· Institutes of Higher Education and their students

· Parents

· Advocates

· Community members

· State Agencies (MDE, DHS, DEED)

There was a panel discussion following the film to highlight positive connections to efforts that are happening here in Minnesota to impact the lives of people with disabilities. The panel included:

·Jeremiah Greenis a Minneapolis Graduate of North High School (class of 2018).Jeremiah has spoken to many groups about his experiences as a black male with an EBD label in special education.

·Dustin Andersonis 33, an Eagle Scout, and has two learning disabilities and ADHD. Dustin is a SAM (Self Advocacy MN) liaison and leadership representative, he is on the board of United Way of Sherburne County, an Olmstead Academy graduate, and a Partners in Policy Making graduate.

·Bonnie Jean Smithis a parent who advocates for persons and families with different abilities to help them gain independence and become self-determined, integrated and included members of their communities, through collaboration

·Nathan Barclayis a 24-year-old self-taught musician from St. Paul, Minnesota. Nathan has been playing piano since the age of five, and has learned how to play over 60 songs by ear, memorization, and practice.

·Kevin Arriazais 24 years old and lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his parents and his brother.Upon completion of the Project SEARCH program in June of 2016, Kevin was hired as a Hospital Service Technician 1 in HCMC’s Supply Chain Department.

There was a collaborative discussion held on the morning of Wednesday, May 1st to discuss the next steps to move Minnesota forward in improving the opportunities and systems for individuals living in our state, which was attended by 65 people. This panel discussion will be the catalyst for collaboration between many organizations throughout the state to advance education, employment and housing opportunities for people living with disabilities in Minnesota. This event was from 9:00AM – 11:30AM at the John B. Davis Education Center in Minneapolis. The panel included:

·Sean Sieleniis a 2018 High School Graduate. Sean’s parents helped him navigate the MN Growth Through Opportunity (GTO) police cadet program where he became the first graduate of the program after 16 weeks.

·Jade Smithbegan attending Bethel’s BUILD (Bethel University Integrated Learning and Development) program after high school graduation in 2016.

·Quinn Meyeris a licensed school psychologist in the state of Minnesota. Quinn works with students with varying needs who receive highly individualized programming that focuses on developing appropriate social, academic, functional, and academic skills.

·Jason Backeshas been the Principal of Transition Plus for the past 3 years in MPS, serving students 18-21 yrs old.

·Dr. Mary Lindellhas been a champion for improving inclusive outcomes for people with and without disabilities throughout her 30 year career.

·Alex Bartolicis the director of Disability Services at the MN Department of Human Services.

·Eric Kloosis the Assistant Director for the Division of Special Education at the Minnesota Department of Education.

·Barb Ziemkeis the Co-director of PACER’s National Parent Center on Transition and Employment, an innovative project that puts families at the center as youth with disabilities navigate the path to education, work and life after high school.

My name is Veronica Milito and I am a doctoral candidate in the school psychology doctoral program at St. John’s University. I am writing to ask assistance from members of your organization to participate in my research study, which focuses on the role of homework in clinical work with youth.

As per the requirements for hosting a study, I have attached a brief description of the study, a copy of the consent form (Appendix A), demographic information questionnaire (Appendix B), written vignettes (Appendix C), supplementary questions (Appendix D), and a copy of the IRB approval memo.

Minnesota’s Graduation Rates Continue to Rise

Rates up for all student groups; gaps between student groups reduced but remain

ROSEVILLE, MN - More Minnesota seniors than ever before graduated in 2018, with 55,869 students—83.2 percent of the graduating class overall, the state’s highest graduation rate on record—achieving the honor and moving on to career and college. Additionally, 3,641 students from earlier classes also earned their diplomas in 2018, graduating five, six, or seven years after beginning high school.

“Graduating high school is a critical step on every student’s path to find their own success,” said Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker. “In Minnesota, we do not give up on our students. Behind every single data point in this year’s historic graduation rate, I not only see the unique stories of individual students, but also the hard work that educators, administrators, coaches and families put into supporting the needs of our students so they could reach this important milestone.”

Graduation rates increased statewide for all racial/ethnic student groups this year, as well as for English learners, students receiving special education services, and students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. Over the past five years, black students—who increased 7.2 percentage points—saw the largest increase.

During this same period:

American Indian/Alaska Native students increased by 2.8 percentage points.

Asian students increased by 4.2 percentage points.

Hispanic students increased by 3.6 percentage points.

Students identifying as two or more races increased by 3 percentage points.

Students receiving special education services increased by 4 percentage points.

English learners increased by 2.5 percentage points.

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals increased by 3.5 percentage points.

Since 2014, graduation rates for white students have increased by 1.9 percentage points. When looking at students of color and American Indian students together, we find they have increased by 4.9 percentage points during that same time. This change represents an almost 15 percent reduction in the gap between white and nonwhite students. Putting the growth in student terms, 977 more students of color and American Indian students, including 515 more black students, graduated with the Class of 2018 than if graduation rates had stayed at 2014 levels.

“I am proud that the graduation gap is closing, but I am not satisfied,” said Commissioner Ricker. “As we move forward, I am eager to partner with communities across our state to better support all of our students.”

Eliminating disparities that are predictable based on race, ethnicity and income level has been one of the state’s highest educational priorities. Schools across the state are employing numerous approaches to support their students to reach graduation, increase the value of reaching the milestone, and building a pathway to career and college.

Districts across the state have developed innovative learning environments focused on ensuring all students have access to career and college-ready opportunities. Some of the noteworthy programs include:

Minnesota bilingual and multilingual seals and certificates of world language proficiency are awards given to graduating seniors by districts in recognition of students who, in grades 10, 11 or 12, have demonstrated required language levels in a language in addition to English. In 2018, more than 1,600 Minnesota graduates received bilingual or multilingual seals in 14 languages: Arabic, American Sign Language, Chinese, French, German, Hmong, Japanese, Karen, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tamil and Thai. This year, students are also testing in Vietnamese and Oromo, and development of Ojibwe, Dakota/Lakota, Lao and Cambodian is underway.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) and Concurrent Enrollment both give high school students the opportunity to take college courses to earn high school and college credits simultaneously. In 2018, 7,164 Minnesota public school students participated in PSEO, including 1,934 students of color or American Indian students. More than 32,000 students participated in concurrent enrollment.

State-approved alternative programs (SAAPs) provide opportunities for students who have experienced or are experiencing difficulty in the traditional education system. Approximately 52,000 students in grades 8-12 are currently enrolled in SAAPs.

Early/Middle College Programs are unique partnerships between state-approved alternative programs and postsecondary institutions offering structured academic and nonacademic supports for students to be successful. Thirty-three districts partnered with 16 postsecondary institutions in 2018, serving approximately 350 students across the state.

Advanced Placement (AP) provides more than 35 college-level courses and exams to high school students. Participating colleges grant credit or appropriate placement to students who scored a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam. In 2018, more than 60 percent of Minnesota students taking an AP course scored a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP exam.

International Baccalaureate (IB) programs offer four highly respected programs of international education that span the primary, middle and secondary school years. Twenty-seven districts, charters and private schools have IB programs in place.

Online schools provide students the opportunity to make up credits for graduation or engage in learning on a different platform than the traditional school to better meet their needs. Approximately 19,000 Minnesota students participate in online learning schools.

“Educators know that each student learns differently, which is why I am so encouraged to see the growth in creative programming,” said Ricker. “It is this type of innovation, including awarding students a seal of biliteracy for their language abilities, that will help students stay in school and receive their diploma.”

Accountability and Supports for Struggling High Schools

The U.S. Department of Education approved Minnesota’s state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act in January 2018. In the plan, Minnesota set an ambitious goal that by 2020, 90 percent of Minnesota students will graduate in four years, and no single student group’s graduation rate will be below 85 percent. This goal reflects the state’s strong commitment to equity and ensuring every Minnesota student receives a high school diploma, and is bolstered by the state’s plan to identify for support any public high school with a four-year graduation rate below 67 percent overall, or for any student group.

“We recognize that the goal we set for 2020 was ambitious, and it must be,” said Commissioner Ricker. “One Minnesota includes a commitment to support all our students to graduate.”

Minnesota Department of Education Sharing #MNGraduates Stories

All day Tuesday, April 23, the department will be celebrating Minnesota graduates on social media with the hashtag #MNGraduates, highlighting their stories of accomplishment and the many ways in which Minnesota schools support and never give up on students. We have encouraged schools to join in by sharing positive stories, and we hope news media will also be a part of sharing with Minnesotans the great things going on in their schools, and the accomplishments of these young people as they move on to the next stage of their lives.

More About the Data

Graduation data are available on the Minnesota Report Card, presented in an easy-to-read, mobile-friendly layout that includes charts and graphs illustrating trends and results for all student groups.

View the complete statewide, district, school and county graduation rates in an Excel spreadsheet by visiting our Data Reports and Analytics page. Under category, choose "Graduation Rate" to access graduation indicator files for each year.